This was our first year of homeschooling (2011-2012). I pulled out DD6 after Kinder, and DD9 after 3rd. They were up for the challenge, but the beginning was VERY hard. Neither one had bad experiences...they loved their teachers, had great friends, DH was PTO president, but I was sick of the test prep at such a young age. I would encourage anyone in the area to go to the school...but for us, I pulled them out based on principle, not past experience. I refuse to let them go to middle school...it is a waste of time not to mention the awkward teen years. It is their choice if they want to go back (in high school).

no...the stylus is to replace your finger. The tip is a special material that acts like a current from your finger. The surface of the iPad is designed to ignore "stray points" and a pointed stylus would just look like a stray point. Your finger on the other hand has multiple points which it needs for the screen to recognize it. The Boxwave stylus seems to work the best (IMHO). I like that the tip is more rubber...the cheap ones use foam. If you notice, Apple does not manufacturer a stylus. :)

Yes...Right now we are just using it for spelling and handwriting, but I would love to put all the history and science text/info on there. I LOVE Spelling Board. I type in spelling words from Wordly Wise and then record the word and a sentence. Then my girls can practice during the week and then take a "test" on Friday and the program records it all. Here is a list of apps for the ipad divided by subject area. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AoTP3iQ0tGMldEFNU0ctU2x0TGxBQWJ4eGJmeWlpLVE&hl=en_US#gid=0

Thanks for this! I found this very useful for my 1st grader for this year. I have been pretty disappointed with the science curriculums (being a former science teacher). :)

Absolutely. My DDs are 6 and 9. They love Mark Kistler! I like him because he uses the correct terminology in his drawings. Yes, the things are very "cartoony" but he does a good job of building up how to draw. The videos for the most part are laid out in order that start simple and get more difficult. I look through them each week, and then assign the particular drawing lessons for my girls. (again, we pretty much go in order of the videos) Just an fyi, the human form and animals are VERY difficult for children to draw. They do not have an understanding of form and space well enough to draw them until about middle school. I never had my students draw (for an assignment) a life-like animal or human. They could do that in their free time if they wanted. :001_smile: I agree about the books a few other pp have mentioned...(they are in my never ending collection!)...The Art of Teaching Children is wonderful because it is written by an art teacher for parents who want to do art at home. And Teaching Art Through Books Kids Love is also great! That was a staple in my art room...most of my lessons started forming from that book.

I am a former art teacher. The first thing you need to do is look up Lowenfeld's stages of development. It sounds like your DD is right on track! ;) I posted this in another thread...here are some good links for sites. http://www.universalleonardo.org/ This is a little more structured and probably a little to old for your DD. http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/explore.cfm Learn the elements and principles of art. http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/ This site is LOADED with tons of lesson plans and projects. http://www.artsonia.com/ I used this site to get ideas for lessons. (Again I am a former art teacher, so I would see something on here, then pull info about the artist, ect...and then do it in class) http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/ http://www.picassohead.com/create.html http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/ http://jacksonpollock.org/ http://www.kerpoof.com/ These are just some random links that are good to play on. I also have a subscription to Mark Kistlers draw squad. (I am a child of the 80's and grew up watching him on Secret City!) My girls LOVE his drawing videos. We throw it up on the projector in our school room and they practice drawing while watching him. Hope that helps!

I bought it as well and am not as happy with it...but then I am a former art teacher. (note: I am working full time while hs and needed something more independent) I just pulled up some of my links that I used: http://www.disney.co.uk/disney-junior/art-attack/ I am sad this site has changed so much! It used to just be a site of videos of this guy creating a ton of cool stuff. My boy students LOVED the projects from this site. (One year they brought in old shoes and they used paper-mache to make giant feet of some sort. It was a blast!) But it looks like Disney bought it.... :glare: http://www.universalleonardo.org/ This is a little more structured and no so "boyish" but it is a neat site. http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/explore.cfm Learn the elements and principles of art. http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/ This site is LOADED with tons of lesson plans and projects. http://www.artsonia.com/ I used this site to get ideas for lessons. (Again I am a former art teacher, so I would see something on here, then pull info about the artist, ect...and then do it in class) http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/ http://www.picassohead.com/create.html http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/ http://jacksonpollock.org/ http://www.kerpoof.com/ These are just some random links that are good to play on. I also have a subscription to Mark Kistlers draw squad. (I am a child of the 80's and grew up watching him on Secret City!) My girls LOVE his drawing videos. We throw it up on the projector in our school room and they practice drawing while watching him. Hope that helps!

Yep...I am totally with all of you. It has been a huge change since both of my dds were in public school and their friends are still all there. (I posted this same thing earlier this week: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304049) I laid off this week and have let them do a lot of "playing." We have done calendar each morning and a couple small things, but they have spent most of the time in their rooms playing dolls...and even {gulp} playing school! At one point I went in and they had taken the mattress off of the top bunk and were sitting up their with their stuffed animals all lined up, my old blue record player, playing records of Disney "books on records" and pointing to the words with their pointers as the record played. :D I know we will feel better in a week or 2 when all of their friends start coming home with a ridiculous amount of homework!

Coming from a former 5th grade teacher...NO DON"T GIVE UP HANDWRITING!!!!! But YES! Start him on typing. Even if it is just a free online program. In this day and age, yes, most things have to be typed. As an adjunct professor, ALL papers must be sent to me electronically. And when I took the GRE, it was done on a computer (as most tests are). The sooner he can CORRECTLY learn to type, the better off he will be. Again, I am a huge advocate of handwriting, but typing is necessary if you plan on going to college. :)

:bigear: subbing... this was certainly helpful for me! thanks!

I used this teaching 5th grade and HS biology in a ps. I love how you can do it online or print it off. You can always modify it a little to bring it down if you need to. http://labwrite.ncsu.edu/

:lurk5: I am with you...we just started homeschooling and I have been very disappointed with the science stuff. I bought (then sold) Apologia, Sonlight and a few others. I finally broke down and got the state textbook with the workbook and was pulling other stuff into that. (I have a biology degree and taught ES and HS science.) I can't wait to hear what you find out!

I asked the same thing on Sunday in this thread: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=304049 Ditto what you said about your daughter...mine is also like that. Very outgoing and loves being part of a group.

This is fabulous!!!! I used these as a teacher in ps and could not figure out how I was going to do this at home! This just made my day!!!!

Thank you all for the suggestions! I had to turn my computer off last night because I had tears in my eyes just thinking about how my girls must be feeling right now. Like "what is in the world are my parents doing to me???" I do work full time at home for a company. As much as I would love to take them someplace like the children's museum...I can't. At least not today. I did put a packet of fun back to school puzzles on their desk this morning with a note about how happy I am that we get to be together and made them blueberry pancakes. (And I reminded them during breakfast that got to sleep in!!!) I think we are going to go out for lunch as well. Next year we will be better prepared for these kinda days! :) I know we are doing the right thing.